Getting HomeAssistant to recognize the dongle controlled by Zigbee2Mqtt

[FutureTense]

I’m moving my entire HomeAssistant system to a new host, and I can’t remember how I added Zigbee during my initial setup. Yesterday it was a matter of getting Zigbee2Mqtt to recognize my SONOFF dongle but now thanks to this wonderful community not only can docker compose can build the container, through the web UI one can see/control an end node setup on the old host.

However, now I’m now struggling to get HomeAssistant to see this dongle via MQTT much less manage any zigbee nodes.

In HomeAssistant’s MQTT integration I don’t see the radio “bridge” like I did on my old host, nor can I figure out how to add it. I’m assuming it has something to do with adding an integration, but process itself is eluding me. I’ve tried adding the “Zigbee Home Automation” integration, but have been struggling, either by selecting one of the serial paths offered to me or doing it manually.

Any guidance is appreciated.

[tom_l]

@FutureTense

In HomeAssistant’s MQTT integration I don’t see the radio “bridge”

You don’t set up zigbee2mqtt in the mqtt broker you set up the mqtt broker in zigbee2mqtt. Go to your z2m settings and set up the mqtt broker.

@FutureTense

I’ve tried adding the “Zigbee Home Automation” integration

That is a completely separate thing to zigbee2mqtt and not required.

[FutureTense]

@tom_l

Go to your z2m settings and set up the mqtt broker.

Is this the “WindFront” UI?

I’ve been through every section and sub-section on that and I’m still not seeing anything about specifying the broker. Most of the “how to” guides I’ve looked at mention using an add-on, but I’m using docker for HA.

[tom_l]

On that page click settings:

Then MQTT:

The important server settings are towards the bottom of that page. Server, user and password.

[FutureTense]

@tom_l

Server, user and password

I set those. There doesn’t appear to be a “save” button but when moving the focus off password the log shows

[3/25/2026, 12:06:18 AM] z2m:mqtt: MQTT publish: topic 'zigbee2mqtt/bridge/response/options', payload '{"data":{"restart_required":true},"status":"ok","transaction":"thpwk-7"}'

[3/25/2026, 12:06:19 AM] frontend:api:bridge: Sending {"topic":"bridge/request/options","payload":{"options":{"mqtt":{"reject_unauthorized":false}},"transaction":"thpwk-8"}}

[3/25/2026, 12:06:19 AM] z2m: Successfully changed options

[3/25/2026, 12:06:19 AM] z2m:mqtt: MQTT publish: topic 'zigbee2mqtt/bridge/response/options', payload '{"data":{"restart_required":true},"status":"ok","transaction":"thpwk-8"}'

So it appears it saved, howver after restarting the password field is empty. Not obfuscated, but blank. But something appears to have happened. I now see a coordinator

But neither the “bridge” nor the smart-valve appear anyplace in HA like they did in the MQTT integration the way they did on the old host. From somewhere in the WindFront GUI i can toggle the valve on/off. But it’s not showing anyplace in HA. I even tried re-adding the valve with “permit join” and nada.

[tom_l]

What does your MQTT log say?

Have you added the Home Assistant MQTT integration?

The password not showing is normal.

[FutureTense]

Im not sure what to look for in the logs, but I think I have the integration installed. In fact there are a couple of ESPHome nodes showing. It’s on this screen where the old host showed the “bridge” and smartvalve. IIRC the bridge allowed me to do a “permit join” and add new zigbee devices as an alternative to the WindFront GUI. I’m reading somwthyabout “MQTT Discovery”. Is that another container that needs to be running?

[FutureTense]

I deleted the integration and then added it again. BOOM, they appeared!

Though my ESPHome nodes disappeared. Probably need to re-add them. In any case this appears to have gotten me over the hump. It’s probably a bug in the backup/restore functionality.

Thank you